The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-08-27

"Did you notice." said Iris, that night, as
we sat in PRINTS room combing out our hair
and talking, show strange mamma was at
dinner to-dayi Not bit like herself; al
most timid and trembling"
"Thats because she knew that she Is to
lose Prim presently to Mr.. Poindexter and
be thrown back on cold comfort, on her
Regan and Goneril, on you and mo, Iris"
said I.
"Wcll there's no denying 1t, Prim, he's
an excellent match" exclaimed Iris, as she
had done a hundred times before. And wo
went on extolling Mr.. Poindexter and his
advantages and disparaging mamma, till
Prim had said: "Why, Iris, / shouldn't
think you were fond of mamma at all ~ and
Iris had answered.: "Fond of heri I'm as
fond as most girls are OF their mothers.
But mamma Is $3.50 exasperatingly
youngr' And 1t was a moment aftcrward
that mamma opened the door of the room
and came in.
She had been with Mrs. Freeman to the
opera, which was having late second sea-
son, and Mrs. Freeman had brought her
home. Somebody had come home with her
it was as much as an hour ago-but we
had been so busy talking we did not notice
the time fly, although we remembered now
that the hall door had closed only few
moments since. But ii was too late ut this
hour to regret that we had not sat up for
mamma.
Well, certainly, there's no question about
| 1t, mamma was beautiful as she stood there
| with the light streaming over her. She
was in dinner dress, her white China Grape
clingng and soft, and her pearls, and the
pearls were clasped at the throat over the
square-cut lace below by turquoise clasp
/ \, .. 1,,, rh, Aln.,
her hair was just q little disordered, one
| long black tress OF it falling; her color was
| deep and vivid as q rose-she who ordinari-
| ly had so little; and her smile-an angel
who had just found and entered Heaven
may have such smile. really thought
that as distinct creation, as work Of
art, as model for a portrait, as q pictured
impersonation Of summer, for instance, as
| as any thing but your mother, you know,
she was deliciously lovely.
"My dear girls" she said, moving for
ward in that way she had, which was ex-
actly the manner reigning princess might
| have who did not choose to be all the time
dragging round her ermine and crown-a
graciousness that hinted Of heights, you
understand-'I have something pleasan,
to tell you, and l will not sleep before you
know it, think, indeed, you have right
| to know it,"
~ should rather think we have, indeed
thought 1.
"Mr. Poindexter," she went on, "did me
did us ala great service to-day"
''Here it !" thought again. "Prim
for certainr
"And-and it was not easy to refuse him
any thing, if had wished to do so. And
he has asked me-
20, mammap' we all cried, breathlessly
"He has asked me-to be his wife, and ]
have promised to marry him in May"
30, mammal" cried Prim again, spring.
ing up and throwing her arms about her, 81
am so glad 1t is what suspected, what
hoped, but never SAID word. l am sc
gladm
But as for Iris and me, we just looked al
each other.
And now ask you, as did in the be-
ginning, did you ever know of any thing
more provoking, more mortifying, more
exasperatingl Ones own mother !-Harrie
Prescott Spotord, in Harpr's Bazar.